COMPANIES OF THE UNITED STATES INDUSTRIAL-MILITARY COMPLEX AS SOCIO-TECHNICAL AGENTS: LOCKHEED MARTIN SECURITY PRACTICES.

• Grant number: 24/21939-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Political Science - International Politics
• Principal Investigator: Samuel Alves Soares
• Grantee: Rafaela Mazzonetto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais (FCHS). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Franca. Franca , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The United States Military-Industrial Complex (CMI) reflects the interconnection between the military sector, the defense industry, and the political powers that sustain them. The central forces of this complex include Congress, responsible for approving budgets for military projects; the Pentagon, which drives the defense market through a doctrine aimed at maintaining U.S. technological and military supremacy; and private companies, particularly arms manufacturers, which interact with the public sector in pursuit of profit maximization while simultaneously sustaining the supply of military technologies. This research proposal focuses on the security practices of defense sector companies, with an emphasis on Lockheed Martin, considering them as sociotechnical agents that uphold the MIC. The objective is to analyze how the company constructs a sociotechnical imaginary through symbolic and cultural resources, addressing its security conceptions and practices. The research methodology involves content analysis and the application of the sociotechnical imaginaries method, grounded in practice theory, which views security practices as resulting from tacit knowledge and sociotechnical arrangements. In this context, private defense companies do not merely respond to Pentagon demands but actively participate in defining what is considered a threat and the technological solutions required to address it. Therefore, the interaction between these companies and the so-called "big defense" reveals a symbiotic relationship that integrates the U.S. economy into the dynamics of permanent war, in which technological development in the defense sector not only drives innovation but also solidifies war as a constant source of profit. The study of these practices aims to clarify the role of the private sector in shaping and perpetuating security dynamics, providing an additional perspective on its role in sustaining armed conflicts in the international arena.